Jones, Feltscher & Middaugh snag final Canadian Open playoff spots
YORKTON, Sask. — Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones grabbed one of the last playoff spots at the Canadian Open with a 6-2 victory Friday night over former teammate Jill Thurston in the all-Winnipeg C-qualifier matchup.
Jones finished the triple knockout preliminary stage with a 3-2 record and was playing in back-to-back draws after falling to Scotland’s Eve Muirhead in the B-qualifiers. Thurston missed the playoffs at 2-3.
Tied 2-2, Jones settled for one point in the fourth and rolled away stealing singles in three consecutive ends.
Elsewhere in C-qualifiers, reigning world champion Binia Feltscher (3-2) made an amazing final runback shot to score one and carry her Swiss team into the playoffs with a 5-4 win over American Nina Roth (2-3).
Sherry Middaugh (3-2) of Coldwater, Ont., scored two in five, added a single steal in six and closed the game with one more point in the eighth to defeat Winnipeg’s Kristy McDonald 6-3. McDonald (2-3) won her first couple games but lost three straight to miss the playoffs.
Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., ousted Scotland’s David Murdoch 6-5 in the men’s C-semifinals. Howard (2-2) will play Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher in Saturday morning’s C-qualifiers.
Calgary’s John Morris scored three in the sixth and held off Charlottetown’s Adam Casey 7-5 in the other C-semifinal. Morris (2-2) faces Masters champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., in Saturday’s C qualifier.
Murdoch and Casey both finished with 1-3 records.
